Short-story
The Last Wish
The ‘Last Wish’ provided an impregnable and
impenetrable shield to Ganga Ram’s ‘Last Breath’ on the deathbed, admitted in a hospital in US. Even mighty corona failed to break it. And eventually, defeated and dejected corona left the body amidst trail of deaths in US . . . .Read a story based on a real story.
By Mukesh Sharma
Heart was injured and exhausted. But it
wouldn’t surrender; it wouldn’t give up; it wouldn’t give in; it would fight
unto last beat. Like a fearless commander, Heart stood to galvanize its soldiers - lungs, liver, kidney, intestine along with RBC, WBC, Platelets and
Antigens in legion. Heart called upon all to fight unto death for the body - the
kingdom of Mind. The fierce fight was going on all the fronts. Corona army had
spread out in the body. Soldiers were felling like flies. Unstopped corona army
was marching ahead ravaging territory after territory; it was heading for the
citadel - Mind, to occupy the body and register yet another victory in its
name.
A serious but silent war was also raging
even outside the body. The intravenous infusion pump, nasogastric tube, indwelling
urinary catheter and a small monitor at bedside were working together on the
body to support the fighting soldiers of the body inside from outside, well
under the command of doctors and nurses dressed in protective gear from top to
toe with a view to thwart any attempt of ambush by the corona 'mariners'. Suddenly, body took a deep devilish breath and stopped breathing further.
Doctors immediately put the body on ventilator to pump air in and out. Monitor
was just blinking showing an irregular heart- beat. Perhaps the war had reached
the last leg. But even doctors were not ready to surrender. Medicines after
medicines were being injected into intravenous tube but in vain. War continued. Hope never
dies and possibilities never end.
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| The Last Wish |
Inside body, corona army had occupied the
most of the territories. It had broken into the highly protected forte too – Mind.
Corona army was looking for the ‘last breath’ which was hidden somewhere in
labyrinthine lanes of Mind. Corona army couldn’t have claimed its victory
without capturing and killing the last breath. Eventually, the army zeroed in on
the ‘last breath’. To its utter astonishment, corona army found the last breath
lying comfortably in two layered protective sheath of a WISH. After an
incessant and concerted attack for hours together, corona army was able to make
a crack in outer layer. Somehow, a few corona soldiers managed to wriggle
through the crack and reached the last layer. But, surprisingly enough, the moment they (
corona army soldiers) touched the shield, they got burnt. And millions burnt out
but the shield remained intact. After hours of vain attempt, corona army chief
decided to move out of the body - this
body was not the only target for the corona; there were millions to grab.
The moment corona army moved out of body,
all gadgets put outside the body started buzzing with life signs. Doctors sprang to their feet, clenched fists
in jubilation and shouted: “ we have made it”. Wearing confused looks, nobody
knew how it happened.
The patient who recovered up, was a native
resident of Haridwar, Uttrakhand, India. He was an elderely man pushing 65. He
came to US just to see his daughter and son-in law residing in New York for
years. As luck would have it, he was caught by deadly corona. He was rushed to
Elmurst Hospital, in New York. On hospital bed, he made a Last Wish: “I wish to breathe to last at the bank of maa Ganga in the lap of my motherland
India, not here in US.” It is world-wide acknowledged fact that no bacteria or
virus can survive in holy water of Ganga. And this last wish provided an
impregnable and impenetrable shield to Ganga Ram’s last breath. Faith is
stronger than reasons.
